Sensory Experiences for Young Children

In the lives of infants and toddlers almost every experience is a new one. How do they learn everything they need to know about their environment? In short,  they use ALL five of their senses. This is, in part, why they put everything in their mouths! So what can you do to build on your child's natural need for sensory experiences?

Easy Set-ups

• Use small tubs or tote containers (lidded ones work well for storing and reusing) 
• When using water as the sensory base the sink or tub works great 
• For messier items put an old tablecloth, blanket, sheet or large towel down
• BE CREATIVE - Find ways to use all the senses. For example try adding scents like vanilla extract. 

Easy Sensory "Fillers"

• Flour 
• Cornmeal 
• Sand 
• Mash Potato Flakes 
• Beans 
• Rice 
• Pasta Noodles
• Corn Packing Peanuts (add a small amount of water for a little science experiment) 
• Confetti 
• Birdseed 
• Cotton Balls 
• Coffee (whole or ground) 
• Shredded Paper 
• Tissue Paper (again try adding water) 
• Pudding 
• Jello
• Bubble Wrap 
• Cool Whip 
• Shaving Cream 
• Ribbons 
• Bows 
• Scarves 
• Carpet Samples
• Tile Samples 
• Pumpkins or Squash (let them explore the insides and outsides)
• Grass Seed 
• Dirt 
• Mud 
• Easter Grass 
• Felt Pieces 
• Fabric Pieces 
• Feathers 
• Aquarium Rocks 
• WATER - THIS IS EASY TO ADD TO - TRY:
• Cotton Balls 
• Easter Grass 
• Feathers 
• Tissue Paper 
• Corn Starch 
• Floating Toys 
• Hard Baby Dolls 
• Cars 
• Dishes 
• Soap 
• Paper 
• Ice Cubes 
• Watercolor or Food Color 
• Rocks 
• Shells 
• Large Marbles 
• Corks 
• Funnels 
• Pipes (PVC for plumbing works well)
• Sponges
• Washcloths
• Syringes 
• Pump bottles (i.e. old soap dispensers)
• Squeeze Bottles (i.e. honey bottles)
• Cups of Various Size 
• Strainers 

Simple Sensory Tools (items to enhance their play with the sensory filler)

• Buckets 
• Bowls 
• Containers 
• Tongs
• Spoons 
• Scoops 
• Cups 
• Measuring Cups 
• Ice Cube Trays 
• Film Canisters 
• Strainers
• Colanders 
• Cookie Cutters 
• Sifting Toys 
• Whisks 
• Turkey Basters 
• Egg Cartons 
• Toilet Paper Tubes 
• Muffin Tins 
• Ladles 
• Pump Bottles 

Simple Sensory Recipes

• CLEAN MUD
• GRAT 3 BARS OF IVORY SOAP. INA BOWL MIX GRATED SOAP, 1 ROLL OF TOILET PAPER (TORN INTO PIECES) AND SOME WARM WATER. KEEP WIXING UNTIL IT FORMS THE CONSISTENCY OF MASHED POTATOES. STORE IN AN AIR TIGHT CONTATINER. ADD A LITTLE MORE WATER WHEN IT DRIES OUT. DISPOSE IN THE TRASH AND NOT DOWN THE DRAIN
• MOON SAND 1: 
• 10 LBS,  1 Bottle Baby  Oil 
• Mix Ingredients to make moldable sand
• GOOP:
• 2 C WARM WATER, 3 C CORNSTARCH PUT INGREDIENTS INM A BOWL AND MIX. THIS IS SOLID WHEN LEFT ALONE, BUT TURNS TO A LIQUID WITH THE HEAT OF LITTLE HANDS! 
• SILLY PUTTY:
• MIX TWO PARTS ELMER’S GLUE TO ONE PART LIQUID STARCH. POUR STARCH INTO GLUE A LITTLE AT A TIME AND MIX. IF THE MIXTURE IS TOO STICKY ADD MORE STARCH. COVER AND REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT. 
• EASY PLAYDOUGH:
• 1 C COLD WATER, 1 C SALT, 2 tsp VEGETABLE OIL, 3 C FLOUR, 2 TBS CORNSTARCH, TEMPRA PAINT OR FOOD COLOR
• MIX THE WATER, SALT, OIL AND PAINT TOGETHER. GRADUALLY WORK IN THE FLOUR AND CORNSTARCH UNTIL YOU GET THE CONSISTENCY OF BREAD DOUGH.
• OATMEAL PLAY DOUGH: 
• 1 PART FLOUR, 1 PART WATER, 2 PART OATMEAL 
• MIX ALL INGREDIENTS WELL UNTIL SMOOTH. KNEAD AND PLAY.

What do Young Children Gain from Sensory Experiences? 

• Cognitive Development
• Pre-math skills filling, dumping, estimating, figuring out more and less, etc. 
• Pre-science skills through exploring matter, weight, volume, etc. 
• Ability to focus on a task 
• Problem solving skills 
• Language Development 
• As you build on their play with conversations 
• New vocabulary 
• Physical development 
• Fine Motor is needed for later writing (think fingers)
• Playdough or clay 
• Pinching, grasping or picking up items with thumb and index fingers 
• Using Tongs
• Gross Motor is also known as large motor (think whole hand or arm)
• Pouring items 
• Holding cups or other large items 
• Hand-Eye Coordination 
• Emotional development 
• Sense of accomplishment 
• Independence 
• Building self-regualtion 
• Social Development 
• This is dependent on whether or not your child is working alone 
• If you work with them you can work together to fill and dump material, take turns with items, etc. 
• FOLLOW YOUR CHILD'S LEAD WHEN YOU PLAY WITH THEM! 

PAINTING - QUICK HOWS AND WHYS!

Quick Paint Recipes that are OUTSIDE THE BOX: 

Sorry there are not exact measurements for some of the recipes - be a scientist with your child and experiment with how much of each ingredient you need! 

• Puff Paint 
• Glue, Shaving Cream and Washable Paint  

• Shiny Paint 
• Condensed Milk and Color (food color if you don't mind staining or washable liquid watercolor)

• Finger Paint (thicker than regular paint) 
• 1/2 Cup Flour, 2 Cup Water, and Color 
• Mix flour with a little water 
• Stir out lumps until smooth
• add rest of water
• cook over medium heat until thick and shiny 
• add color 

• Sticky Paint
• Corn Syrup and Color 

• Shampoo Paint
• Shampoo, Water and Color 
• Mix shampoo with small amount of water and color with an electric beater 
• if too thick add more water, if too thin add more shampoo

Things to Remember when Painting with your Child: 

• It is the process not the product that matters! 
• It will be messy - that is the fun of it!!  
• Plan ahead
• Washcloths, Soap Water, Wet Wipes, etc. handy
• Take off their clothes and let them paint on their bodies 
• Put an old sheet under them 
• Paint in the bathtub  
• REFRAIN FROM COMMENTS LIKE, "WHAT DID YOU MAKE?" (LOOK AT ITEM ONE! AND CONSIDER HOW YOU WOULD FEEL IF YOU WERE WORKING HARD ON YOUR ART AND SOMEONE ASKED THAT), "THAT'S PRETTY" OR "I LIKE IT" AS THESE FOCUS ON THE PRODUCT. 
• INSTEAD TRY FOCUSING YOUR CONVERSATION DURING THEIR PAINTING EXPERIENCES ON WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND HOW THEY ARE DOING IT "I SEE YOU USING THE PURPLE." ; "YOUR DRIPPING THE PAINT OFF YOUR FINGERS, I SEE THE SPLATTERS IT MAKES ON YOUR LEG"; "YOU ARE VERY FOCUSED ON YOUR WORK" ; "YOU ARE WORKING SO HARD ON YOUR ART" THESE COMMENTS ARE SPECIFIC TO THE CHILD'S EFFORTS AND INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING WHILE ADDING IN NEW VOCABULARY WORDS! 

What your Child is Gaining, Developmentally Speaking, from these Experiences: 

• Physical Development: 
• motor skills need for later writing skills
• hand-eye coordination 
• Emotional Development: 
• a sense of accomplishment 
• self-efficacy and self-esteem (a sense that they can!) 
• a medium for self-expression 
• Language Development 
• this depends on how YOU approach the situation
• as they work to can build on their thinking by talking about their actions in detail and asking questions (even if they do not have the verbal skills to respond! See "Language Development" Page)
• builds their vocabulary and exposer to new words  
• gives them practice in the workings of conversations 
• connects words (symbols, if you will) and their environment in a concrete, meaningful manner 
• Cognitive Development: 
• gives them a chance to explore and experiment with:
• cause and effect
• textures 
• connect the words for colors and possibly numbers (this, again, is based on how YOU facilitate their work) with what they actually represent

Note-worthy Website

This is a campaign meant to provide information to parents, grandparents and caregivers on how children learn through everyday moments. The website provides good information about how children learn, as well as activity ideas for everyday play. There is a wealth of information on the website for those with  patience to explore. Check it out!

BornLearning.org